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Today GeoPoll is pleased to release our latest report, which examines the popularity of the World Cup in Africa, predicts viewership trends for the tournament, and gives insights into what teams Africans are rooting for in 2018. The report includes in-depth data on World Cup enthusiasm from 6 nations: Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania.
High-level findings show that Africans will be tuning into the World Cup in high numbers this year, with 76% of females and 91% of males across all countries planning to watch the matches, an increase from 2014, when 56% of females and 80% of males reported watching the tournament. Enthusiasm is particularly high in Nigeria and Senegal, who have both qualified for the cup, with Senegal having the highest percentage of viewers who do not identify as football fans following the progress of their national team: 74% of those who say they will watch the games do not usually follow football.
Across Africa, support for Nigeria, Senegal, and Egypt, who have also qualified, is high: 31% of respondents indicate they will be rooting for Nigeria, 20% for Senegal, and 23% for Egypt. However, when it comes to predictions of which team will actually win the World Cup, respondents favor Brazil, Germany, and Spain above African teams.
The results also demonstrate a shift in the viewership habits of World Cup fans, with a majority saying they will watch at home with friends rather than in clubs or restaurants, as has been popular in previous years. GeoPoll’s report finds that 74% of Ghanaians plan to watch the World Cup from home, 70% of South Africans, 60% of Nigerians, 66% of Senegalese, and 61% of Tanzanians. Only in Kenya, famous for its football bars and clubs, did a more moderate 52% plan to watch from home, with 30 per cent of Kenyan men planning to watch the cup in clubs and restaurants.
GeoPoll’s full report includes additional insights on awareness of the World Cup, gender trends, interest levels in football and the World Cup, and data broken down by country and gender. Download the free, 20-page report, here: GeoPoll 2018 World Cup Insights Report.